


Something Old, Something New

by kaci3PO



Category: Fanboys (2008)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-19
Updated: 2012-11-19
Packaged: 2017-11-19 02:10:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/567869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaci3PO/pseuds/kaci3PO
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Linus is old and new, Eric's past and present but never his future. Or: the night they return from Skywalker Ranch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something Old, Something New

**Author's Note:**

  * For [anemptymargin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anemptymargin/gifts).



They get back into town at around one in the morning and Eric realizes that he has nowhere to go. He could go back to his apartment, if he wanted, but there's no point. It's not like he has work to go to in the morning. It's why, when Hutch pulls the van to a stop in front of Linus's and Linus tugs on his arm as he gets out, Eric just follows. No one in the van says anything as they leave together. Eric has never been sure if they Know with a capital K, or if they just suspect, or if they just think he and Linus are going inside to talk it out in a completely platonic best friends way. He thinks Zoe might Know, but she won't say anything and Eric is grateful for that.

Linus's parents are already asleep when they get inside and Eric can't help but think back to sneaking in and out all through high school, of things he did while supposedly under their supervision — things he did _to their son_ in _this very house_ — that they'd probably never forgive him for if they knew. He thinks of the things he still _intends_ to do, and hopes that they will one day let it all go for Linus's sake.

They tiptoe past his parents' bedroom to the other end of the hall to the room Linus has lived in his entire life. The only room he will ever live in.

And then the door is locked behind them and they are alone and Linus looks even more tired than Eric feels.

"Don't say anything," Linus says, and slumps back onto his bed. "Just...don't, okay? We can talk in the morning."

"Alright," Eric agrees. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just come to bed," Linus answers, and scoots over to make room for Eric. Eric goes willingly, shucking off his clothes while Linus does the same. By the time he reaches Linus, they're both down to just their underwear and Eric can't breathe for how much skin there is to touch, how much of Linus he thought he had forgotten but remembers like it's his own body he's starting to re-map. There are new scars, raised pink ridges where doctors cut into him to try to save his life and failed. There's a bruise from when Linus fell out of the van in Las Vegas. There is a freckle low on his stomach that Eric doesn't remember from before and spends far too long running his tongue over while Linus squirms.

Linus is old and new, Eric's past and present but never his future, and Eric wants him so intensely that he can't believe he ever managed to pretend that he didn't.

"Linus, I —"

"Don't get mushy on me, Bottler," Linus says, and pulls Eric up into a kiss, rolling them over and grinding down hard against him. "What do you want?"

Eric gasps, rolling his hips up to meet Linus's, and closes his eyes to steady his thoughts. He hasn't gotten properly laid in years, not since Linus, really. He had a few dates that ended in her jerking him off or him returning the favor but not since Linus has it been like this. He doesn't let himself think about the fact that it might never be like this again.

"I want — " Eric pauses to moan as Linus grinds down against him. "I want you — fuck, I want you inside."

Linus curls his fingers under Eric's chin and forces Eric to meet his eyes. "Are you going to react like last time?"

Linus has fucked Eric exactly once. It was just before the end, just before Eric fucked off to the car lot and his family and stopped taking Linus's calls. The pressure was already mounting on him at the time. His dad was already making off-handed comments about Eric and Linus being "too close" that Eric still doesn't know what to make of but hopes to God weren't code for him knowing what they were doing alone together, and Eric was starting to freak out about who they were to each other and what all of it meant.

They were hot and heavy and Linus told Eric he wanted to try something and Eric had been too far gone to care, so he'd said okay. It had felt good. Really good. Not at first, but towards the end, Eric thought he was going to die right there with Linus's cock up his ass and it would've been the best way to go _ever_.

And then he'd woken up the next morning in Linus's bed, remembered what had happened, and ran.

Eric never put it back on the table after that and things were over before Linus could offer a second time.

"No," Eric says, licking his lips. "No, I — no more running from you."

Linus ducks down to kiss him, then pushes up off the bed to shuck off his boxers and go digging through a drawer for supplies. Eric takes the time to divest himself of his own underwear, and they both stop dead when Linus turns back around.

"Oh," Linus says, taking him in. "God, I'd — I'd forgotten what you look like."

"I hadn't," Eric whispers, and then Linus is on him and he can't breathe but it's okay, it's fine, as long as Linus is touching him. Eric doesn't think he can bring himself to stop touching Linus at all between now and — well, and then. Not for one second.

Linus's fingers are slick and wet and Eric shivers, not used to this at all but wanting it so, so badly that he doesn't care. He whines and arches his back and forgets how to use words but Linus is there, solid and real and taking care of this so that Eric can just let go for once. Linus may not be willing to let Eric say it, but he loves him so, so much.

And then Linus is hitching Eric's leg up around his waist and Eric remembers this, remembers how weird it felt, how much it hurt, how he didn't think he could go through with it and couldn't imagine why Linus seemed to like it when he was the one on his back. This time is nothing like that.

He's open and relaxed and Linus slides home easily, fitting the broken pieces of their universe back together like they were never broken at all. Their mouths meet and Linus rocks his hips and Eric digs his heels into Linus's lower back to urge him on.

It's sticky. It's messy. There are strange noises that Eric is fairly sure get edited out of professional porn. It should be weird, but it isn't. Not even a little bit.

When Linus comes, slumping on top of Eric's already spent body, Eric clings to him, clenches up around him and whimpers when Linus tries to separate them. It takes Linus kissing him over and over, whispering words that they both know are lies, before Eric finally lets him go. The noise that comes out of him when Linus leaves is embarrassing but he couldn't have stopped it for anything in the world.

"We can talk about this in the morning," Linus promises. "If you don't run away, that is."

"I won't," Eric says firmly. "I'm here."

"'Til the bitter end," Linus finishes lightly, as though it were just a joke. Eric doesn't even chuckle.

When Linus gets back to bed, Eric wraps himself around Linus, pulling him flush against Eric's chest so that he's the little spoon. It's needy and Eric can't bring himself to care.

"Linus — "

"Just don't, Bottler," Linus says. "In the morning, if I survive the night."

Eric buries his face into Linus's hair and forces himself not to cry.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Yuletide! When I saw your letter, I just knew I had to write this. Hope you like it! :)


End file.
